Jian’s eyes immediately widened.
"Surrounded? What do you mean?"
Nine closed his eyes. The glow in his golden eyes had not faded.
"One, two, three... ten, twenty..."
His expression became increasingly serious.
"A hundred. I see hundreds of winged warriors and armored giants outside, surrounding the dungeon."
Everyone’s expressions sank.
Alec immediately stopped James and Hubert from leading the way.
"I am the strongest here. Let me go out first."
Hearing their conversation, the people who had been mining around them—strangers who knew nothing about their situation—cast them strange glances. After hearing Nine’s warning, they became suspicious of what was happening.
However, they still left the dungeon.
After all, they were only here to work. They had not done anything wrong like this group, who had been sent here by the dungeon’s owner as punishment. Whatever was happening clearly had nothing to do with them.
Meanwhile, the Celestials Jian and his companions had fought—the very conflict that had led them all here—were just as anxious.
They did not dare to step out recklessly. Instead, they remained far behind Jian’s group, silently observing the situation and waiting for the right moment to act.
Sinon stopped Alec.
"No, that could be dangerous. We don’t know anything about the situation outside..."
He paused for a moment, his expression turning serious before continuing.
"How about we all just leave using Instant Teleportation?"
Regius immediately interrupted him.
"No. Even if we use Instant Teleportation, it would only help us temporarily. Stronger beings can track the spatial distortions left behind by teleportation. It won’t be useful in the long run, and it might even lead us into greater trouble."
Zron suddenly cried out.
"What the hell is even going on?! Can’t they just let us mine quietly? I finally started to enjoy this work—even if it’s exhausting!"
The old dwarf was immediately smacked by Odiak.
As Zron glared at the other dwarf, he was met with the knowing gaze of Susan, who stood beside Odiak. Zron immediately shut his mouth.
It seemed that Susan already knew exactly what he had been doing until now.
Damn... this old man.
Carcel stepped forward and stood beside Alec with a serious expression.
"No matter what, we have to go out. Instead of wasting time worrying about what might be waiting for us, it’s better to face the situation directly. Let’s leave together."
Alec nodded in agreement.
Everyone exchanged glances before following the two men as they slowly made their way out of the dungeon.
The moment they stepped outside, the scene before them was exactly as Nine had described.
They were surrounded.
Countless winged warriors and armored giants floated in the sky around them, their cold gazes locked onto the group as they aimed their weapons in their direction. The oppressive aura released by the army caused the atmosphere to become heavy, making even breathing feel slightly difficult.
These warriors were not unfamiliar.
They were the same kind of soldiers Alec and the others had seen guarding the gates leading to the Celestial Realm within the massive Golden Hall of Light.
Behind the army floated a very familiar elderly Celestial. He was one of the elders of the Golden Hall of Light who had personally watched Alec and the others place their hands on the crystals that examined their Celestial Lake when they first arrived.
Next to the elder, the owner of the damaged building—the one who had dragged them here—floated respectfully, bowing toward the elder while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
The elder’s cold gaze swept across the group before finally stopping on them.
A trace of recognition appeared in his eyes.
He immediately raised his hand and pointed toward Alec and his group.
"Yes, these are the people!"
His voice echoed throughout the area.
"Capture them!"
Alec’s dark eyes narrowed.
Jian, Sinon, Regius, Asher, Zron, and Bia immediately prepared to resist, but after sensing the overwhelming strength of the powerful Celestial army surrounding them, Alec glanced at them and stopped them. He also secretly signaled James and the rest, indicating that they should not make any moves.
There was no point in fighting recklessly.
Before making any move, they needed to understand the reason behind the enemy’s actions and accurately assess their power. Charging ahead without knowing anything would only put them at a disadvantage. For now, the smartest choice for them was to remain calm, gather information, and wait for the right opportunity to act or escape.
Simultaneously, behind them, the group of Celestials Jian had fought also emerged from the dungeon. The group secretly let out a sigh of relief when they realized they were not the ones being targeted.
However, the moment their eyes fell upon the familiar elder from the Golden Hall of Light, their expressions changed drastically.
Cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.
They knew very well that if this elder discovered what they had learned about Kyle, their fate would be sealed. Without making a sound, they began planning their escape while quietly watching Jian, Alec, and their companions get captured.
At that moment, another voice suddenly echoed through the air.
It was a majestic, cold, and arrogant voice, carrying an undeniable sense of authority.
Everyone turned toward the source.
Only then did Jian and the others notice the figure they had overlooked until now.
High above the scene floated a luxurious throne. Sitting upon it was a man wearing magnificent attire embroidered with intricate patterns that radiated an aura of wealth and status.
It was Ruler Yizhe.
Sitting above everyone else, he looked down at Alec and his companions as if they were nothing more than insignificant ants. A faint trace of disdain flashed across his eyes before he turned toward the elder.
"Are you certain these are the people?"
His voice was calm yet filled with arrogance.
"Are they truly related to that Devil?"
He glanced at Alec and the others again, his expression secretly becoming relieved.
"They are... far too weak."
Hearing his words and understanding exactly who he was referring to, Jian’s eyes instantly flickered with rage.
"What Devil?"
His voice thundered through the area.
"You’re the Devil! Your entire family is the Devil!"
He pointed toward Yizhe’s figure floating above them.
"If you have the courage, come down and fight me one-on-one! Let’s see who the weaker one really is!"